You’re Losing Motivation in School. Here’s How to Keep It Up

By Gabriel Rivera '26

Unfortunately, as the school year enters the fourth quarter, students are starting to lose motivation and stop caring about school. It’s important to stay present and motivated, even at the end of the year.

As a senior currently counting the minutes until graduation, I know the struggle more than anyone. Frequent snow days drain the desire to re-enter the classroom; knowing that you’re almost done and out of here can make it worse.

Sometimes when you’re feeling unmotivated, the solution isn’t just to power through blindly; we need to recalibrate. If you start feeling stressed to the point of wanting to give up, don’t be afraid to take a break. Pause the work for a little while and do something that makes you relaxed: Play a game, listen to music, or read a book. When you’re ready, return to your work. Just be careful not to overextend yourself.

“I think one of the best ways to help kids stay motivated is just really keep your eye on the prize,” says Pam Harrison, a Wethersfield High School psychologist. “Know what the goal is, and then, sometimes it helps to take that goal and break it into smaller steps.”

Harrison states that if you’re stressing about making it until June, break your workload up into small chunks. Try not to pay attention to June; just try your best to get through the week.

Prioritizing your mental health over grade-related stress will actually improve your performance on difficult assignments. You might even get better grades because overthinking leads to second-guessing and avoidable mistakes.

Remember, school isn’t a competition. If your friend gets a better grade than you, don’t overwork yourself just to one-up them. Just try your best, take your time and keep your eye on the prize.

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